


Closing a box of my past life (and our blood stained photograph)

by StarryKitty013



Series: Sibling Beta Test [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Closure, Fluff, Found Family, Fuck Shelia Haywood, Galas, Gen, He's also a little shit, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Tim Drake Being a Little Shit, Timmy is wise beyond his years, batbros, batfam, tim is a good brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25373461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryKitty013/pseuds/StarryKitty013
Summary: Jason goes on a roadtrip and Tim won't let him go alone.Not this time.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Series: Sibling Beta Test [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1692163
Comments: 11
Kudos: 261





	Closing a box of my past life (and our blood stained photograph)

**Author's Note:**

> Not the best summery buuuut HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMMY!!!!!!! He will forever be 17. I've actually had this written for a while but Timmy needed a fic for his birthday so I was waiting.
> 
> Enjoy!

Jason doesn’t know how he got roped into these things.

Sure he’d practically moved back into the manor and he and the family were on what one could consider good terms, but that by no means warrented that he would go to these stupid things again.

Galas were the bane of his existance, with the boring lined with riducule and small minded people and too fancy dresses that would never be worn again and too expesive tiny food that never filled you up and watered down alchohol that now one could hold somehow. It was stuffy and uncomfortable and annoying.

The worst part is, he’s not even legally  _ alive. _ You should be expemt from any and all fancy smashy events if you die one time or more.

Jason wasn’t interested in the party, was the point. But what he was interested in was how his siblings interacted at the party and how other interacted and treated them. 

He obviously just stood in the corner, scrutinzing anyone who came his way. He was a tough case for them to crack, no one knew he was the street kid they harped on for years about. Dick was mostly the same, smiling and bouncing around, talking meaningless gossip and being all around cheery. The only difference is that Babs wasn’t here to be swooned over. Cass was with Steph and as gracful as his sister was the blonde stumbled a lot while Cass caught her and calmly chatted, and the women all complimented her dollface and beautiful dress. Both of them could kill them and they wouldn’t even know it. The demon brat stuck close to Bruce as usual, learning and being the next heir to the busniess means he would like to know everything about his incompetant competitors. Sometimes they’d double back for Duke, who was still fairly new, and tucked away on the corner of the counter where he was seen but still kinda out of the way. 

Then there was Tim…

Tim was intesresting because unlike their siblings, Tim had grown up going to galas. Learning to rules of the place, and how to navigate from such a young age - never mind that it was  _ Janet Drake _ guiding him - made for a very different interaction with other guests.

Because they were all being fake right now,  _ pleasent _ . But Tim was another level of fake, the same fake Bruce was but amplified - because he was guided by  _ Janet Drake _ \- in way that was almost scary-  _ threatening _ . And unlike laughing with him or fawning, the adults around him just seemed to... _ know _ . They almost seemed scared. Tim was smiling, but his eyes were doing all the intimidating. They were telling them that he was dangerous, but also looked unassuming. It left his conversational partners in a flux. 

_ Janet Drake’s reputation prevails. _

“It is so nice of you to take of Brucie’s business.” said pompous woman A with her pink dress and sparkling dress. She was a sea witch with too much mascara - according to Tim, which made Jason laugh when he heard his younger brother mumble it under his breath.

“Between you and me, it’s in much better care.” pompous woman B, with her golden yellow pearl studded dress and her million dollar hairdo, stage whispered. Tim smiled politely, tightly and it looked so genuine it seemed fake. The small laugh did too.

“I’m just keeping the seat warm until Damian.” he waved off, faux nervousness and sheepish tinting his tone. There was a reason he was best at undercover ops, Jason had to remind himself.

“Aww.” pomp A whined dramatically “But you’re so much more well bred for this sort of thing.” and there was something about how she phrased it that made Jason want to deck her. Bred? Like how the rest of them were just spawned and dolled out. Bred as if Damian wasn’t suited to his birth right because of who he was born to. Bred as if Tim was only born for this and not allowed to live his own life. Batcow had more rights than the old hags were making Tim out to be.

“Maybe I can pass down my knowledge.” Tim said without missing a beat, as if he wasn’t pissed off. He probably wasn’t, not because he didn’t care, Tim just knew what not to give a fuck about. Better than the rest of them anyway.

“I certainly hope so.” pomp B laughed along with A and Tim added his small faux chuckle. Like it was the funniest thing in the world. “Your dear mother would be proud.” she said and that grabbed Jason’s attention even more. Janet was a no-no topic on every level, not because Tim didn’t like talking about her, but because  _ Tim never talks about her _ . Jason was ready to jump in at the signal - which Tim has never once used, and only responds to (he was the best responder because after they talked to Tim, there was no double back). 

“Although she made some pretty big breakthroughs in her time.” pomp A waved off “For a woman.”

“Oh, Darlah! I could  _ never _ .” pomp B said dramatically “I mean, running a business like that? It’s so out of sorts, a miracle even to keep it standing.” These women were so dead.

“She certainly knew how.” pomp A laughed along with her friend, as if implying Janet Drake was a whore in front of her son wouldn’t totally crumble their reputation within the next two hours. Jason wanted to punch them, but Tim seems like he’s already got dibs. “It was Jacky’s first, was it not. I’m surprised he handed it over to his wife.” These dumb old witches were going to die a horrible death after losing everything they’ve ever known.

“Whatever did happen to your father?” asked pomp B, Jason could see Tim bristle a little, but only in the way that he was trained as a Bat. It would be unnoticeable to anyone else. Still this bristle wasn’t the  _ ‘you make me uncomfortable with your questions’ _ bristle or the  _ ‘you’ve just triggered a traumatic memory fuck you’ _ bristle. It wasn’t even the  _ ‘I am pissed at you and now you’re going to die a slow painful death’ _ bristle. This was…

“It’s always been just me and mother.” Tim said with a slightly different kind of fake than he’d been using all night. Not even slightly, it was way off brand. The words were too perfect - young, like how a child would say it - the tone was too practiced to be the kind of fake that Tim had a second ago. The plastic kind that was fake smiles and icy eyes. This kind of fake was scripted and rehearsed so many times it became muscle memory. 

_ Did he even know he was doing that? _

Suddenly, Jason really wanted to know what happened to Jack Drake, because there was no way in hell that it could be good.

Not with that smile.

OoO

Tim was in the cave after the gala, working on something so hard it was difficult to believe it was just a bunch of cold B&E cases. Tim always destressed this way after galas. It keeps him sane.

Jason casually leaned against the wall next to where Tim was reading the files. The cave was empty at 4am so there wasn’t much noise besides the normal hum of the monitors and engines.

“So what happened to your dad?” Jason asked, almost casually.

“It’s always been just me and moth-mom.” Tim quickly corrected, muscle memory, for sure. That was exactly what he had said at the gala. And Tim didn’t seem bothered by what he had said, casually continuing to flip through the files. 

“How long it take you to get that just right?” Jason asked, his casual posture becoming more offputting now, side eyeing Tim critically as Tim reviewed what he said and sat up straighter and stiffer by a bit.  _ Bingo _ .

“Drop it Jason.” he mumbled as he ducked his head down and bit his lip, trying to go through the files faster as if it would get him away from Jason and his scrutinizing gaze.

“You didn’t even know you were doing it.” Jason stated, Tim’s posture grew minutly smaller. “How long have you been saying that? Who told you to say that?” Jason has an idea. Since Tim’s dad disappeared when he was 3 and  _ Janet _ was written all over this.

“I was young, it’s always just been us. No one  _ told _ me to say that, it’s the  _ truth _ .” Tim said in a business like tone, but it had a slight shak eto it.

“Yeah, perfect answer. You can’t say because you don’t know.” Jason drawled “And no one would ask  _ Janet _ .” Tim clutches his files, Jason still can’t see his eyes. He’s not sure he wanted to, Tim’s eyes can be colder than the tundra with the AC blasting on a good day. “Don’t bullshit me Tim, I know you know what happened to your dad. You always know. It’s your thing.” Yeah, cause Tim Drake doesn’t play around when it comes to lethal secrets, he was always scarily accurate.

“I do.” Tim said after a long silence, his tone was icy and indifferent “But do you know what happened to your mom?” he said in a voice so quiet, and cold that Jason almost forgot to be mad.

Almost.

The older boy slammed his hand on the wall harshly as he stood at his full hieght above his brother, towering over him. “Low fucking blow” he snarled down at the boy, who still didn’t move or respond anymore. “Yeah, I know what that bitch did. Blew up like she fucking deserved and-”

“Shelia Haywood wasn’t your mother.” Tim whispered and that made Jason freeze.

“The fuck you talking about.” Jason seethed down at him. 

“She wasn’t your mother. Documents were forged and replaced in databases to make it look that way but… she wasn’t her, even if she believed it.” Tim said and then sighed “Ricky Stuart was Shelia’s long lost son, got seperated due to services, Joker killed him and replaced the files with yours…” Tim informed.

“So… if Shelia wasn’t mine then…”

“Cathrine Todd was…” Tim finished and finally looked at Jason tentavily. Jason was calm… Tim was waiting for him to-

“Fuck!” he blurted and slammed his hand on the desk so hard it made a dent. “Fuck, no! This is your shittiest deflection yet!” Jason yelled out at him, Tim remained calm “This is messed up, you  _ can’t _ say things like this replacement, goddammit! It’s not okay to play with other people’s emotions like this just because you don’t wanna talk about your dead dad!” Jason snarled at him. They were working on this, working on talking but… It was frustrating and scary to do this with Tim, to get him to open up. And when he did, most of the time it was about the wrong thing.

“I’m not playing a game or deflecting.” Tim said “I have proof, your blood from before the lazuras pit and blood tranfusions matches over 90 percent with Cathrine and the blood sample that you used for your investigation was 100 percent Cathrine too. It wasn’t Shelia’s the labs were switched.” 

“You’re lying!” Jason snarled “You always  _ lie _ . You’re good at it, it’s the only thing you do. No one should trust you. No one can help you, because they can’t trust you! You’ll just pretend your way out of it. It’s a waste of time-”

“I’m not lying, Jason.” Tim’s voice went hard, but there was a slight crack in it. Jason should feel bad for hurting Tim’s feelings, but he can’t. Because to be in denial means Tim has to be lying. He  _ has  _ to. Jason didn’t die for a person who wasn’t even his real mom. For  _ no reason _ .

“She’s alive, in witness protection for the past 5 years.” Tim continued softly, Jason wanted to block him out. “She’s in Oregon, her name is Daisy Notroy and she’s a barista at Armi’s Cocoa beans. 3 years in rehab, 2 years clean since she met her boyfriend Stevan Almend. They are engaged and living at  188 NW 207th Ave in Beaverton.” Tim finished quietly and turned downward to his work, anticipating the next question.

“How long have you known?” Jason whispered warningly and Tim didn’t look up.

“3 years.” he said so quiet Jason almost didn’t hear him and Jason picked up the file stack that Tim was working on and threw them as far as he could. Paper scattering everywhere, it wasn’t satisfying in the least.

“And you didn’t tell me! You lying son of a bitch!” Jason screamed in Tim’s face holding him up by the collar of his hoodie.

“You hated me back then. You wouldn’tve believed me even with my proof.” Tim sniped back, a bit of fire coming in his eyes.

“ so you were just  _ waiting _ to pull this out on me. When my gaurd was down, when you were cornered!” Jason snarled back and Tim grit his teeth.

“When was I supposed to say it Jason? Out of no where? When things are  _ decent _ between us?” Tim bit back and Jason shoved him roughly into the chair again, he grunted on impact.

“You’re a coward.” he said and turned around stalking toward the garage. He got into a car and started it up, it was only when he looked in the rearview mirror that he noticed Tim had slipped in the car next to him. Stiff, with his seatbelt on and hands clutching his knees as he bit his lip and stared at the car floor. It was his guilty face, the one that had regrets that were too deep for a 17 year old to have. It made him look childishly young and extremely old and Jason had no idea how to respond to it. “Get-”

“I’m going with you.” Tim cut off with his whisper “It’s my fault you didn’t know about this sooner, you’re right I am a coward, but…” Tim gripped his knees tighter “I’m not leaving...I’m not leaving you alone.”

_ Not this time. _

OoO

The trip was silent. 

The whole 14 hours were just silence - not even a radio. Jason focusing on the road ahead and Tim staring anywhere but Jason, ignoring all texts they got from friends, family or otherwise. 

The only sound was when the first ping from Dick came on Jason’s phone and Tim had quietly told him that he’d left a sticky note in the cave. He put his phone on silent and after the seventh hour no one contacted them. 

Even pit stops were silent, Jason had gotten them breakfast - which was a donut and coffee - at the gas station, which he scarfed down in one go to drive and Tim nibbled at his donut, gulping down his gas station coffee all at once. Jason was kinda glad the younger hadn’t offered to drive because he needed a distraction, plus he was pretty sure that little Timmy got a little stomach ache from the trashy coffee (Tim Drake everyone, former KGB spy, former Robin, current Red Robin- the spleenless wonder. Gotta love that lack of immune system). Tim didn’t complain if that was the case, just went to sleep until it mostly passed. The barley eaten donut was snuck out of his hand 5 minutes into the cat nap and eaten. 

When he had woken up, Jason was stopping for gas and got the kid a ginger ale because sure he was mad at him, doesn’t mean he wanted him to suffer (at least not from something as shitty as bad coffee, maybe a punch to the face from Jason, but it wasn’t satisfying, especially if Tim didn’t show it). Jason would’ve been more worried that Tim didn’t complain about the pain - because they’d been working on that dammit - if he didn’t know it wasn’t gonna pass with some ibuprofen and a soda. Tim may have been a self-sacrificing idiot, but he knows how to handle indigestion himself. Besides the discomfort was kinda deserved on his part and Tim took his punishment gracefully. 

They finally made it to their destination and Jason only glanced at Tim for a second to make sure he was okay, which he was thankfully - because Jason is kinda glad Tim came along now - and looked at the small yellow house nervously. Tim turned to him, as if to say let’s go and he cut the engine.

They got out of the car and Jason only made it to the sidewalk before stopping, Tim stopping just before the first step and looking back. Not prompting Jason, letting him build up his nerve to follow his brother before saying “sure the house won’t move in the next million years.” (that’s what he loved about Tim, he remembered. He lets everyone go at their own pace and isn’t afraid to call them out on their shit at the same time. It was great). Jason huffed as he shook his head and went to the stairs.

Jason rang the bell and held his breath as a woman answered the door. She was in her mid 40s, had streaky thinning brown hair and was a little pale, but over all healthy. Jason’s breathe caught as she smiled sweetly at them.

“Hello, how may I help you boys?” She asked and Jason didn’t speak so Tim, god bless his sole, did for him.

“Hi my name is Tim Drake, this is my brother…” Tim trailed off as Cathrine locked her eyes with Jason’s and she suddenly seemed to pause.

“Jason?” she whispered in disbelif. Jason shifted his feet and nodded.

“Hey...mom.” he said, and for a big man he sure knew how to make himself look small.

“But you’re… they said you had…” she stuttered out.

“Yeah… it’s a long story.” he said back with a nervous chuckle.

“Oh Jason, I’m so s-” Cathrine’s eyes teared up as she stepped forward, as if to hug but thought better of it. Jason met her all the way and hugged her gently.

“No, no mom. It’s okay, I’m okay.” he whispered in her ear and she hugged back. When they pulled away Cathrine took in her son.

“You’ve grown.” she said with a small sad smile playing at her lips. 

“Yeah I have.” he said back.

“And you have a family?” she said gestureing her head to Tim without taking her eyes off Jason, as if he’d disappear agian if she did.

“More or less.” he shrugged and if Tim felt a little deflated at that, he didn’t show it.

“Honey?” said a voice from the back of the house that was coming closer “Who’s that?” a man said as he came over to stand behind Cathrine, wrapping an arm around her waist. Jason’s knuckles fisted a bit before holding out his hand and smiled.

“I’m Todd Peterson.” he said and the man shook his hand firmly “Miss. Notroy used to take care of me as a kid, and I was in town for some busniess. Thought I’d stop by and say hi. Sorry if we intruded.” Jason said eaily and the man shook his head and smiled.

“Oh no problem at all.” he said joviously. “Would you like to come in?”

“Nah, we were just passing through. Haveta get this little sucker home for his test.” he nudged Tim and Tim had the decency to not be offended. The man nodded.

“Completly understand.” he said with an honest smile.

“Miss.Notroy is a good one.” Jason said “Take good care of her, I know she did me.”

“You have my word, son.” the man said and they waved as they walked down the steps again and got in the car and drove off.

OoO

They were half-way through their trip back when Jason finally spoke up.

“Why’d you keep it from me?” Jason asked and Tim sighed from where he was leaning against the window.

“Because you wouldn’tve believed me back then.” Tim said again, this time exasperated.

“We’ve talked about you bullshitting me.” Jason said casually and Tim huffed.

“You know me too well.” Tim muttered. 

“And deflecting.” Jason smirked when Tim’s lips curled a bit. 

“It’s concerning.” Tim said more to himself.

“Still haven’t answered Babybird.” Jason drawled and Tim was quiet before looking down to play with his hoodie.

“You know why you died?” Tim asked quietly, and Jason knew enough about Tim to know that the phrasing wasn’t meant to hurt him.

“Because when you mix a phyco with a bomb and a crowbar you get a dead bird. Yeah, basic math.” Jason said a bit tightly.

“No,” Tim said “It was because miscommunication, compromised information and delayed action because of that.” he said and Jason huffed.

“Your nightmare.” he muttered and Tim shot him a look “No wonder Bruce took you in after me. Those are your little pet peeves, course you wouldn’t die because of it.” 

“And no one in our family ever will again.” Tim said, leaning his head back against the window “You weren’t a bad Robin, and I wasn’t Bruce’s do over. ” Tim said and Jason was quiet for a bit.

“So B knows too.” Jason said and Tim hummed in confusion “I mean like rehab ain’t cheap… and you knew when she started so…”

“Bruce doesn’t know.” Tim said, eyes still closed.

“Yeah, right.” Jason scoffed

“the accounts I used when I was a kid are still open.” Tim muttered out and opened his eyes to look out the windshield. Jason was quiet for a moment before he allowed it to click.

“You leaked her money?” Jason asked.

“Until she was stable.” Tim hummed and Jason looked at him for a minute “What? If a drug dealer could do it then I should too.” he said sitting up a little before Jason barked out a laugh and ruffled his hair, to which he yelped at.

“Aww Timmy, did I melt some of that icy heart of yours?” Jason teased.

“I couldn’t care less.” Tim huffed like a child. Almost reminded him of Damian.

“So why help me, Babybird?” Jason asked

“Is this 20 questions?” Tim bit back.

“You haven’t put nearly enough emotional interest into these past 36 hours.” Which is true, Jason had been the emotional one for most of it. Tim’s just been an indifferent prick.

“Is there a quota?” Tim said in a deadpan.

“Got five hours Baby B.” Jason half-teased. Tim sighed.

“You deserved closure.” Tim said after a minute, again quietly and getting the kid to talk about this kind of shit was like pulling teeth. Jason swore, he was almost as bad as Bruce. But Bruce didn’t know how to read people like Tim - how to read  _ Jason _ like Tim.

“Closure?” Jason asked.

“Like how Dick got it by catching his parents killer. Or how Steph said fuck you to her dad before leaving him to rot in jail.” Tim said “Damian can’t really get any because his parents are alive, and Cass is Cass so yeah she handled that her way. But… you died before…” Tim trailed off.

“Still doesn’t answer my question.” Jason said softer and Tim bit his lip and began fiddling with his hoodie again.

“I never got closure.” Tim admitted softly “with my mom...or my dad.” he said the last part quieter, almost in a hiss. He regained his composure a bit “It’ll help you move on from...that.” he said a little louder and more faux confident.

“What...would you have to…” Jason trailed off from his nervous question, instead of snipe at him about the questions Tim looked out the window for a bit, gathering his thoughts.

“We never really loved each other.” he finally said. “I respected her and she found use for me. That’s how it went. I never tried to please her, only do as she said.” Tim looked down a bit “I feared her for most of my life, and when I stopped fearing her I saw her as a villian.” his voice picked up the bussniess like tone again “then she died and...I didn’t know what to feel. Because she wasn’t a villian...she just... _ wasn’t there _ .” Jason didn’t know how to respond to that, he wasn’t even sure what he was asking to began with.

“And your dad?” he asked tentativly.

“That’s a whole other ballpark.” Tim sighs. Jason waits before sighing as well.

“Fine, emotional quota achieved. I’m done harassing you.” Jason promised and Tim smiled a little. “At least I got something out of you.” he muttered.

“Did you?” Tim smirked a bit and then Jason blinked.

“You little shit!” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I love you all and have a good timmy day!!!
> 
> ALSO:  
> Tumblr:@starrykitty013  
> Twitter: @StarryKitty013  
> Insta:@starrykitty013  
> I post about batfam stuff and also mini updates on this and other fics I'm working on!! (like how the next chapter is progressing or just things I'm generally excited for you to see or even sneak peaks and ART) I try to check it frequently. DM me anytime!
> 
> See y'all next time :3


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